2012 PUNJAB LOOKING BACK—POWER SECTOR
Year of missed deadlines & reduced T&D losses
Patiala, December 25
The year 2012 proved a mixed bag for the Power Corporation with its two power utilities - Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) - registering achievements as well as failures.Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal at the upcoming thermal plant in Rajpura. A Tribune file photo

3,600 AIDS cases reported in Jalandhar this year
Jalandhar, Decmber 25
More than 6,000 persons in the district are in the grip of AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). As many as 3,600 cases of AIDS and 3,200 of tuberculosis (TB) have been identified in the district so far this year.

Badal favours fast-track courts for rape cases
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today paid obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib on the 308th martyrdom day of the two Sahibzadas and Mata
Gujari. He said he would honour the edict issued by the Akal Takht chief, Jathedar Gurbachan Singh, directing all parties to desist from mudslinging during their political conferences at the Shaheedi Jor
Mela. Expressing shock at the Delhi gangrape case, Badal announced that the Punjab Government would ensure that the harshest punishment was awarded to perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Sack Sukhbir and
Majithia, says BajwaChandigarh, December 25Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa has demanded that the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, and his brother-in-law, Revenue Minister Bikram
Majithia, should resign from the Cabinet for the “complete breakdown of law and order” in the state.

UP minister ‘slaps’ rail coach attendant
Amritsar, December 25
A rail coach attendant of Punjab Mail (Howrah-Amritsar) has filed a complaint with the Amritsar Government Railway Police
(GRP) against Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Mohammad Azam Khan who allegedly slapped him and made him do 50 sit-ups due to the latter's failure in arranging his bedding "properly" during his journey from Lucknow to Rampur on December 18.

Flawed seniority list has teachers fuming
Faridkot, December 25
A large number of master cadre government schoolteachers have been grumbling since the office of the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) released their seniority list for the purpose of promotion and pay fixation last week.

Sunny, Banda were expelled in May this year: YAD
Chandigarh, December 25
The Youth Akali Dal (YAD) today claimed that Maninderpal ‘Sunny’ Johar and Rishi Banda, who allegedly beat up Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Counter-Intelligence, Surinderjeet Singh Mand, at a Ludhiana hotel last night, had been expelled from the party in May this year.

Anandpur Sahib civic body office bearers elected
Ropar, December 25
Manpreet Kaur Arora and Mohinder Kaur were unanimously elected as Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President of Anandpur Sahib Municipal Council, near here. Local MLA and Punjab Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal was also present on the occasion.

I-T Dept offers incentive for retail consumers
Ludhiana, December 25
The Excise and Taxation Department has come up with a lucky coupon scheme to encourage people to take retail invoices from November 4 to March 31 next year.
Prizes up to Rs 10 lakh per division will be awarded on the basis of a lucky draw in the seven excise and taxation divisions of the department.

Sangrur employment office runs with skeletal staff
Sangrur, December 25
The district employment office here has been run by only one officer as vacancies at the office had not been filled for the past few years.
The posts that are lying vacant are that of an employment officer (vocational guidance), statistical assistant, six clerks and two Class IV employees.

Canal breached near Lehragaga
Sangrur, December 25
A small canal called Dialpura Rajwaha was breached at Nangla village on Monday, over five kilometres from
Lehragaga. The breach was 35-feet wide. The water flooded standing crop in over 40 acres of land.

For a just cause

Students and teachers of Government Mohindra College hold a rally against female foeticide during the NSS Camp in Patiala on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

After HC ruling, riot victims demand houses
Ludhiana, December 25
Ever since the High Court asked Mohali and Ludhiana district administration to allot accommodation to riot victims, people affected by the riots in other districts have also begun to demand the same.

5 gangsters held after encounter in Amritsar village
Amritsar, December 25
The Amritsar (rural) police today arrested five gangsters after a fire exchange at Mattewal village of Majitha constituency this afternoon. Three of their accomplices, including the son of a slain terrorist, escaped. Two 315 bore rifles, two 315 bore pistols and a 32 bore revolver were found at the encounter site.

Policemen with arrested gangsters at Amritsar’s Mattewal village on Tuesday. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

Teenager raped in FerozepurFerozepur, December 25
A 13-year-old girl of Jeeva Bharian village was allegedly raped by a youth belonging to an affluent family of the village on December 17.

Minor raped in Ferozepur
Ferozepur: A 13-year-old girl of Jeeva Bharian village was allegedly raped by a youth belonging to an affluent family of the village on December 17.
The victim belonged to a poor family and was warned against reporting the matter to the police. Mustering courage, she approached the police on Wednesday. She was accompanied by her father. The police sent her for a medical examination.

In Hoshiarpur, woman attacked
Hoshiarpur, December 25
Kamaljit Kaur, a 24-year-old woman of Chaggran village, was shot at by an unidentified man wearing a mask this morning. She was rushed to hospital by her husband and brother as village residents converged on the crime site.

Sangrur village panch killed, son injured
Sangrur, December 25
Hakam Singh, an "adhikarat" panch (who is authorised to perform the duties of sarpanch), of Dhandoli Kalan village was killed and his son Yadwinder Singh injured when they were allegedly attacked at their house last evening.

Man held for murder of autorickshaw driver
Patiala, December 25
The Patiala police today claimed to have solved the murder case of an autorickshaw driver named Jaswinder Singh, who was found murdered on December 11 near Baran village.

Patiala, December 25
The year 2012 proved a mixed bag for the Power Corporation with its two power utilities - Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) - registering achievements as well as failures.

While the much-hyped commissioning of the first 660 MW unit of the upcoming Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant missed its November deadline, the precarious fiscal health of the Power Corporation continued and so were the power woes for the people, particularly during the summer months.

However, bringing down the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses drastically, curtailing its expenditure, sanctioning of 1,320 MW thermal power plant project to be undertaken by PSPCL and intensifying its drive to check power theft were some of the main achievements of the Power Corporation.

Going by the tall claims of PSPCL of ensuring sufficient power during the summer season no one had expected as to what was in store for the residents. With power demand seeing an unprecedented increase during peak summer time, 12-hour-long power cuts were the order of the day in almost all parts of the state. This was the only option available with PSPCL to meet the daily demand of 9,800 MW. Because of the weekly offs imposed on the industry, the industrial community vented its anger against the PSPCL authorities but for the Power Corporation, imposition of the regulatory measures was inevitable.

The expiry of memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed between PSPCL and Lanco Infratech Ltd, Hyderabad, for setting up 1,320 MW thermal plant at Kot Shamir in Bathinda and the non-initiation of work of 2,640 MW coal-based power project at Gidderbaha as well as 1,320 MW Gobindpura Thermal Power Project left PSPCL in a tight spot.

Even the deadline for commissioning of the first 660 MW unit of the upcoming Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant (1,980 MW) was extended from November 30 this year to April 13, 2013. These developments belied the claims made by the state government that Punjab would be a power surplus state by next year.

However, efforts made by PSPCL for getting the approval for setting up a 1,320 MW thermal plant at Mukeria (Hoshiarpur) on its own from the Punjab government not only proved fruitful but also silenced the power sector experts who had been critical of power generation capacity addition by private companies alone. Bringing down the T&D losses from 18 per cent to 17.4 per cent brought much accolades for PSPCL with the Council of Power Utilities awarding the Power Corporation for achieving the highest reduction in T&D losses in the country.

While the present total debt of the Power Corporation touched the figure of Rs 20,000 crore, the state government failed to come out with a financial restructuring plan for the power utilities as promised during unbundling of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) in 2010.

However, the PSPCL did manage to curtail its expenditure and take steps to bring down financial losses. During the fiscal ending March 2011, PSPCL had suffered a financial loss of Rs 1,600 crore. The loss came down to Rs 240 crore by March 2012. Also, to check the alleged misuse of the free power being given to 11.7 lakh AP families across the state, PSPCL has decided to install automated meter reading (AMR) system on agricultural pumpsets in a phased manner. Besides, its drive to check the power theft in other categories of power consumers was also intensified.

Appreciation from Union Power Secretary P Uma Shankar that Punjab has taken a lead in the implementation of the Re-structured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) was something special for the Power Corporation. However, towards the end of the year, the alleged irregularities during separate examinations conducted for the recruitment for various posts in PSPCL and PSTCL brought both the power utilities under the scanner.

punjab power corporation

Achievements

Failures

The Council of Power Utilities awarded the Power Corporation for achieving the highest reduction in T&D losses from 18 per cent to 17.4 per cent in the country

For the fiscal ending March 2011, PSPCL had suffered a loss of Rs 1,600 crore which came down to Rs 240 crore by March 2012

PSPCL intensified its drive to check power theft for all categories of consumers. It has decided to install automated meter reading (AMR) system on agricultural pumpsets

Appreciation from Union Power Secretary P Uma Shankar that Punjab has taken a lead in the implementation of the Re-structured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) was something special

Tall claims of PSPCL of ensuring sufficient power during the summer months were exposed with state witnessing unprecedented regulatory measures in the form of long power cuts in domestic sector and weekly offs in industrial sector

The expiry of the memorandum of understanding
(MoU), signed between PSPCL and Lanco Infratech Ltd for setting up 1,320-MW thermal plant at Kot Shamir in Bathinda

Non-initiation of work of 2,640 MW coal-based power project at Gidderbaha and 1,320 MW Gobindpura Thermal Power Project

Commissioning of the first 660 MW unit of Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant missed its November 30 deadline

Jalandhar, Decmber 25
More than 6,000 persons in the district are in the grip of AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). As many as 3,600 cases of AIDS and 3,200 of tuberculosis (TB) have been identified in the district so far this year.

Dr Baldev Singh, Medical Officer, Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre, Civil Hospital, said: "There is a feeling that the number of AIDS patients has increased. But it is because more number of cases are being reported. Since the government is now testing all TB and surgery patients as well as pregnant mothers for AIDS, cases seem to be rising."

Till August, the number of TB cases was 2,445 which has now increased to 3,200. Experts say less cases are reported in December while most of the cases are reported during the six months from February onwards. Last year, 4,000 TB cases were registered under the Revised National TB Control Programme in the district.

Notably, addiction is a key deterrent in the proper treatment of these diseases, which claim many lives in the district every year. In the Qazi Mandi area alone hundreds of deaths occur due to addiction each year.

District TB Officer Dr Rajiv Sharma said: "While efforts are on to further strengthen the TB programme, what is bothersome is that drug addicts continue to remain habitual defaulters. In general, the default rate in the district is 6 per cent. Around 88 per cent patients have recurring TB patterns".

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today paid obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib on the 308th martyrdom day of the two Sahibzadas and Mata Gujari. He said he would honour the edict issued by the Akal Takht chief, Jathedar Gurbachan Singh, directing all parties to desist from mudslinging during their political conferences at the Shaheedi Jor Mela.

Expressing shock at the Delhi gangrape case, Badal announced that the Punjab Government would ensure that the harshest punishment was awarded to perpetrators of the heinous crime.

He said the state government had already urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to earmark fast-track courts for speedy trial of rape cases.The state government would provide the infrastructure required to set up such courts, he said.

Referring to the ruckus in the Vidhan Sabha during the recently concluded winter session, Badal alleged that bereft of an agenda, the Congress was in the mood to boycott the session from day one. He said he had made sincere efforts to persuade the Congress to join the session, but in vain.

To a question whether the SAD would support BJP's Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, Badal said it was too early to comment on the matter. Braving the cold and amid tight security arrangements, lakhs of devotees paid obeisance at the historic
gurdwara.

The state government has urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to earmark fast-track courts for speedy trial of rape cases.The state government will provide the infrastructure required to set up such courts.
— Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister

Chandigarh, December 25
Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa has demanded that the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, and his brother-in-law, Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, should resign from the Cabinet for the “complete breakdown of law and order” in the state.

He said not a day passed without any untoward incident being reported. “If an Assistant IGP can be thrashed, then what to talk about the safety of the common man,” he remarked, adding that the Chief Minister could no longer remain a mute spectator.

“ Majithia and his henchmen have let loose a reign of terror in the state and it is time the Chief Minister takes note and acts.The shootout in Majithia's constituency, where one of his PAs was involved, can't be ignored,” the Congress MP said.

"Majithia and his henchmen have let loose a reign of terror and it is time the CM takes note and acts."
— Partap S Bajwa,
Gurdaspur MP

Amritsar, December 25
A rail coach attendant of Punjab Mail (Howrah-Amritsar) has filed a complaint with the Amritsar Government Railway Police (GRP) against Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Mohammad Azam Khan who allegedly slapped him and made him do 50 sit-ups due to the latter's failure in arranging his bedding "properly" during his journey from Lucknow to Rampur on December 18.

The complaint lodged by railway coach attendant Nimral Murmu has been forwarded to the Raipur Moradabad GRP, and the AIG, GRP, Punjab. The victim is yet to get any response.

"I have written a letter to the Railway Minister so that he should take cognisanse of the incident. I expect the minister to respond so that the morale of the Railways staff does not get shattered," she said.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Nirmal, who has been associated with East Railways for 12 years, said he had proceeded on a leave as he could not "withstand the humiliation" caused to him.

"The minister boarded the train from Lucknow. Just a few minutes before the train reached the Rampur station, he called me up and complained about improper bedding in the coach. When I returned with a new set of bedding, he slapped me and abused me for not performing my duties".

SHO GRP Dharminder Kalyan said Nirmal's complaint had been sent to the Moradabad
GRP.

Chandigarh, December 25
Condemning the assault on SS Mand, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIGP) Intelligence, Ludhiana, by one Sunny Johar, believed to be an associate of Revenue minister Bikram Majithia, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today warned that such instances would demoralise the Punjab Police.

He pointed out that after the murder of a policeman by an Akali activist and the beating up of a police man on traffic duty,"now a senior police officer of the rank of SSP has been beaten up in full public view in Ludhiana." Amarinder alleged that such incidents vindicated the Congress stand that goons groomed and patronised by Majithia had become a law unto themselves. He asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to tame Majithia, lest he sent the state into anarchy.

The PCC chief referred to the encounter between criminals and the police in Mattewal village in the Majithia assembly segment today in which gangster Sulakhan Mattewal, Majithia's "henchman" was involved. He alleged that while five of his accomplices were arrested, Sulakhan was allowed to escape.

Congress leaders Sukhpal Khaira, Laal Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Parminder Pinky and Navtej Cheema said it was ironical that the police officer who had been injured was state police chief Sumedh Singh Saini's right hand man while the “Akali goonda” who had beaten him up was Mijithia's right hand man.

They said it was unfortunate that the Punjab Police, which had succeeded in wiping out terrorism, was being targeted by Akali goons and urged the Chief Minister to intervene.

The Congress leaders also demanded a judicial probe into the incident and demanded that Majithia be sacked from the Cabinet.

Faridkot, December 25
A large number of master cadre government schoolteachers have been grumbling since the office of the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) released their seniority list for the purpose of promotion and pay fixation last week.

The list is replete with several glaring flaws. A number of affected teachers are now planning to move the High Court.

Admitting to the errors, the Circle Education Offices (CEOs) are advising the teachers to give a representation to the DPI office.

Among other glaring mistakes, the list, released on the official website of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, carries the names of many teachers more than once. For example, the name of Anil Kumar Ahuja, a science teacher, figures at two places in the seniority list, giving him seniority No. 249 and 9,594. Shaminder Batra, another science teacher, finds place at No. 53 and 9,152 in the list.

There are many other names that have been repeated, thus adversely affecting the seniority of many other teachers in the queue.

Besides, there are many names in the list who are not from master cadre. For instance, Khem Raj, a science teacher, who ranks 9,262 seniority-wise, is not a master in any government school. He is a lecturer, a different cadre than the masters.

Baljit Singh Brar, Circle Education Officer, Faridkot, said the affected teachers should approach the DPI office for a rectification of the mistake.

The seniority list was prepared on the basis of the master/mistress merit/rank determined by the department selection committee at the time of their selection in 1997.

Since the list has led to resentment among a large number of teachers, the school education department is staring at more court cases. The department is already facing as many as 342 litigations in the High Court. Most of these cases pertain to seniority and promotion of teachers.

Jalandhar, December 25
Oil tankers will remain off road from Friday. This is likely to affect the supply of petrol and diesel in the state and parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.

The Indian Oil Tankers Union, Punjab, with its units at Jalandhar, Bathinda and Sangrur, has decided to go on an indefinite strike from December 28.

Union state president Kishan Lal Sharma and its vice-president Ashok Sarin said: “We oppose the IOC move to allow petrol station dealers to carry oil in their own tankers."

Also, the IOC had failed to enhanced rates for transporting diesel. Sharma and Sarin said the strike would continue till their main demands were met by the IOC.

Chandigarh, December 25
The Youth Akali Dal (YAD) today claimed that Maninderpal ‘Sunny’ Johar and Rishi Banda, who allegedly beat up Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Counter-Intelligence, Surinderjeet Singh Mand, at a Ludhiana hotel last night, had been expelled from the party in May this year.

Parambans Singh Romana, YAD disciplinary committee chairman and chief spokesman, said here today that it was wrong to state that Sunny and Banda were associated with the YAD.

Along with Jaskirat Singh of Amritsar, the two had been expelled from the YAD following an office order dated May 29 for working against party candidates in the runup to the municipal corporation elections.

He said Sunny had demanded the party ticket from Ludhiana which had been denied to him.

Meanwhile, YAD president Bikramjit Singh Majithia said he wanted to set the record straight that no one was above the law and that if anybody broke the law he would have to face the music. Majithia, however, claimed that he could not be held liable for the actions of any YAD member, past or present. “If that was the case, Sonia Gandhi would be held responsible for all the wrongs committed by Congress men”, he argued.

Majithia denied that Sunny was close to him. “If that was the case, I would have inaugurated the joint owned by him. But I have never even visited the joint”. Majithia said Sunny and Banda belonged to a group of 12 YAD members who had sought the party ticket during the municipal corporation elections.

He said while some workers had fallen in line after their request was turned down, others like Sunny had been expelled from the party.

Ropar, December 25
Manpreet Kaur Arora and Mohinder Kaur were unanimously elected as Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President of Anandpur Sahib Municipal Council, near here. Local MLA and Punjab Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal was also present on the occasion.

The election was necessitated after the tenure of the last incumbents Bihari Lal and Master Hansraj expired three months ago. Similarly, Sukhdev Singh Parmar and Shashi Sandal were elected as Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President at Nangal Muncipal Council.

Paramjit Singh Pamma, Congress spokesman at Nangal, however, alleged that the election was not conducted as per the directions of Punjab and Haryana High court. “I as a member of the civic body demanded that the elections should be conducted through a ballot, however, Anadpur Sahib SDM Amarjit Singh Shahi, who conducted the election, held the election openly, he said.

According to the directions of the High Court, the administration was bound to conduct the election through a ballot when a member present on the spot demanded for it, claimed Pamma.

The administration violated the norms and held the election amid heavy deployment of police personnel in the office of the council, he alleged.

The SDM Amarjit Shahi denied that Pamma had presented to him any such directions issued by the High Court and that he conducted the elections as per the rules and regulations. The police was deployed outside the office to maintain law and
order, he added.

Chandigarh, December 25
A new, handy gadget is now available to empower the visually impaired and give them direct access to reading material.

The Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) here had designed a portable device that converts text into audio output. Two prototypes of this machine have been developed and were tested at the Institute for the Blind here.

Referred to as the Portable Reading Machine (PRM), it is based upon scanner technology. Its handy scanner module, which is just about two inches wide and 10 inches long through which paper is passed. It can scan a whole A4 size page in a single step and takes about 20-30 seconds to convert a page this size into text.

Traditionally, the visually impaired would rely on Braille to read text but this had limitations. Access to scanned documents would now give them much greater access to information.

The PRM uses an imaging device to capture the printed document and using optical character recognition, speech synthesiser and recogniser, the captured text is modulated and spoken. This innovation focuses on reading printed matter seamlessly.

A scanner-based PRM is more effective than a camera based machine as it requires lesser processing time.

Voice-based controls and various modes like recording speech and reading e-books were integrated into the PRM. A wireless keypad has also been incorporated as an option.

Besides linking with the aforementioned institute, the CSIO has also linked with the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research, Kolkata and Aasha Kiran Vocational Training Centre for further support in development and trials.

changing lives

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The CSIO designed a portable device that converts text into audio
output

* The Portable Reading Machine is based upon scanner technology

*
It can scan a whole A4 size page in a single step and takes about 20-30 seconds to convert a page this size into text

*
The device would give the visually impaired access to scanned documents, thereby increasing their scope for learning

Amritsar, December 25
Sikh hardliner Baba Baljit Singh Dadduwal was detained after his flight from London landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport here today.

He is wanted in a case registered in Sirsa (Haryana) in 2007. Immigration officials said Dadduwal would be handed over to the Haryana police. Dadduwal's private secretary Raj pal Singh the leader had gone to England on December 3 and had returned on a Turkmenistan flight to
Amritsar.

Ludhiana, December 25
The Excise and Taxation Department has come up with a lucky coupon scheme to encourage people to take retail invoices from November 4 to March 31 next year.
Prizes up to Rs 10 lakh per division will be awarded on the basis of a lucky draw in the seven excise and taxation divisions of the department.

Prizes include cars, scooters, television sets, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and other household items. People would not be able to enjoy this offer while paying for petroleum.

A person interested in availing the scheme can send or deposit the bills for the items purchased to the Office of the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC) of the concerned district. There will be a drop box at the office of the AETC of each of the districts in the state. The bills can also be sent to the Office of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab.

“The Punjab Government has come up with this scheme to encourage people to take bills. We generally do not take bills and help shopkeepers evade tax. It is the customer’s right to demand for the bill. It ensures the purchase of quality goods and helps the customer file a damage claim in the consumer court if needed,” said A Venu Parsad, Excise and Taxation Commissioner.

Sangrur, December 25
The district employment office here has been run by only one officer as vacancies at the office had not been filled for the past few years.
The posts that are lying vacant are that of an employment officer (vocational guidance), statistical assistant, six clerks and two Class IV employees.

Besides the officer, a clerk and two Class IV employees are running the day to day affairs of this district office which has over 7,800 unemployed candidates on its rolls.

The department does not have a statistical assistant working for them so there is no one to ensure that employers of public sector and private organisations file their quarterly returns to the district employment office.

In case an employer fails to furnish the returns, the district employment office issues notice to him. If even after the notice, the employer fails to present the returns, then a challan is presented in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM).

Besides the vacant post of a superintendent, out of seven sanctioned posts for clerks, six have been lying vacant for the past some years.

Sangrur, December 25
A small canal called Dialpura Rajwaha was breached at Nangla village on Monday, over five kilometres from Lehragaga. The breach was 35-feet wide. The water flooded standing crop in over 40 acres of land.

Sources said the farmers rushed to the site as soon as they got the news and tried to plug the breach. The cause of the breach could not be found.

A junior engineer of the Irrigation Department said the entire breach would soon be plugged by the department officials.

Chandigarh, December 25
A former superintendent engineer has accused the UT chief engineers of filing ‘wrong’ and ‘false’ affidavits in the court.

KB Sharma has alleged that an affidavit, filed by Chief Engineer, Department of Engineering, Sunil Jaitley, has been “wrongly sworn” and the contents of the writ petition filed by the Chandigarh Administration against him are incorrect. The entire exercise, he said, has been done to ‘mislead’ the Court. Another Chief Engineer Santosh Kumar Chadha too has “sworn a false affidavit”, Sharma said.

Sharma’s name had initially surfaced in the UT Engineering Department kickbacks case registered in 1998 by the UT Vigilance Department.

The allegations against Sharma and other accused were that they had hatched a conspiracy and agreed to obtain pecuniary advantage from DGS&D (Directorate-General of Supplies & Disposals) rate contract firms.

Acting on his application for proceeding against Jaitley and Chadha for “contempt of court” and for filing a false affidavit under Section 340 of the CrPC, a Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, headed by Justice SK Mittal has issued notice of motion for January 23 next year.

Going into the background of the controversy, Sharma stated the Chandigarh Administration challenged an order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, which allowed his application for release of annual grade increment, fixation of pay in revised scale and revised retirement benefits.

Alleging attempts at misleading the court, he said the Chandigarh Administration “purposely incorporated” Sections 406, 409 and 420 of the IPC, pertaining to criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy in its petition.

Sharma’s counsel Sukhdip Singh Brar and JS Mehndiratta said the superintendent engineer had, in fact, been discharged in all the Sections, except Section 13 (1) (d) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read with Section 120-B of the IPC.

The Administration was aware about the dropping of these Sections, at the stage of framing charge. But Jaitley filed a wrong affidavit, stating that the contents of the writ petition are “true and correct”. The affidavit has been “wrongly sworn as the contents of the writ petition are not correct”.

The counsel added an application was also moved by the Administration for the grant of interim stay on the impugned judgment. In support of the application, a false affidavit was sworn by Chadha. Even before the Supreme Court, the Administration “misstated the facts”

The counsel concluded: “These Sections have been wrongly added to prejudice the mind of the Court. Both Jaitley and Chadha have committed contempt of court by misleading/misrepresenting the facts before this Court and the Supreme Court”.

Case details

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In order to mislead the court, the petitioner said the Chandigarh Administration "purposely incorporated" Sections 406, 409 and 420 of the IPC in its petition

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A Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, headed by Justice SK Mittal, has issued notice of motion for January 23 next year

Ludhiana, December 25
Ever since the High Court asked Mohali and Ludhiana district administration to allot accommodation to riot victims, people affected by the riots in other districts have also begun to demand the same.

The accommodation would be provided on the basis of a lottery system. Adhering to the Court orders, the authorities in the two districts have begun to make lists of the victims. Moreover, the highest number of Danga Peerats is registered in these districts.

But Punjab has 22 districts and there are riot victims in almost every district. On this issue, a civil writ petition was filed by the riot victims in the High Court.

An official in the Revenue Department, Chandigarh, said the riot victims from Jalandhar and Amritsar had been approaching the Ludhiana District Administration to accommodate them as well.

The official said a letter, inquiring as to what should be done in this matter, was also sent to the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, from Ludhiana District Administration recently.

"A meeting on this issue should be held with all the district heads. At the same time, the riot victims in other districts should also be considered in the allotment process in Ludhiana and Mohali districts," said the official\

Cry for justice

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Riot victims in Ludhiana and Mohali already being alloted houses

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But there are riot victims in almost every district and they too now demand for houses

5 gangsters held after encounter in Amritsar village
Kingpin Sulakhan Singh, son of a slain militant, escapesTribune News Service

Amritsar, December 25
The Amritsar (rural) police today arrested five gangsters after a fire exchange at Mattewal village of Majitha constituency this afternoon. Three of their accomplices, including the son of a slain terrorist, escaped. Two 315 bore rifles, two 315 bore pistols and a 32 bore revolver were found at the encounter site.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Gopi, Gurdeep Singh, Vipan Kumar, Akul Kumar and Pardeep. Senior Superintendent of police (SSP) Preet Paul Singh Virk said the police retaliated after the gangsters opened fire.

“On a tip-off, we surrounded an outhouse at Mattewal village at about 2 pm. We were informed that Sulakhan Singh, son of slain militant Seetal Singh Mattewal, was involved in forming a gang of looters and that they were hiding in the outhouse. As we proceeded towards the outhouse, we were fired upon, We had to retaliate.” The SSP said Sulakhan Singh managed to escape. Nobody was injured in the encounter carried out by police teams of Tasrika, Mattewal and Mehta, he added.

Ferozepur, December 25
A 13-year-old girl of Jeeva Bharian village was allegedly raped by a youth belonging to an affluent family of the village on December 17.

The victim belonged to a poor family and was warned against reporting the matter to the police. Mustering courage, she approached the police on Wednesday. She was accompanied by her father. The police sent her for a medical examination. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vibhor Kumar said a case against the accused, who had returned from Australia some time ago, had been registered.

Gurdaspur: The local police is still groping in the dark in a case pertaining to the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl on December 5.

The victim belonged to Hasanpur village, 15 km from here. The police has quizzed 80 persons, most of them youths from nearby villages, but have yet to make an arrest.

An FIR was registered at the Dorangla police station under Sections 376 (rape) and 302 (murder) of the IPC.The then Station House Officer (SHO), Raj Kumar, who was investigating the case, was inexplicably transferred to the Police Lines days just after the murder. However, senior officers maintain that his transfer has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation.

Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh said the police had launched a search for the killers. He claimed the police was working on some vital clues. He said rape was yet to be confirmed as the police was awaiting the medico-legal report from the Kharar-based forensic laboratory. However, a rape case had been registered on the statement of the victim's mother.

The SSP said there were no injury marks on the girl's body. The victim was a Class VIII student of Government Senior Secondary School, Ghalari. An officer said the girl had been strangled to death.The body was found in sugarcane fields close to the victim's house. There is outrage over the incident and trade unions of the district, including the Punjab Kisan Union, the Kirti Kisan Union, the Kisan Sangharsh Committee and the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, have decided to lay a siege to the Deputy Commissioner's office on December 28.

The Long Delay
* More than 80 persons quizzed in connection with the murder of Gurdaspur schoolgirl

Hoshiarpur, December 25
Kamaljit Kaur, a 24-year-old woman of Chaggran village, was shot at by an unidentified man wearing a mask this morning. She was rushed to hospital by her husband and brother as village residents converged on the crime site.

“A tall man in a mask appeared from nowhere and fired at me. All I remember is falling on the ground with pain in my chest,” Kamaljit told the police.

Her husband Gurpreet Singh works in Dubai and was here on vacation.

Village sarpanch Amanjit Singh said the assailant escaped in a vehicle parked on the Hoshiarpur-Garhshankar road. “We have animosity with none," Kamaljit’s brother Balwinder said. He said Kamaljit had been hit in the shoulder.

Sangrur, December 25
Hakam Singh, an "adhikarat" panch (who is authorised to perform the duties of sarpanch), of Dhandoli Kalan village was killed and his son Yadwinder Singh injured when they were allegedly attacked at their house last evening.

The Dirba police has registered a case against Gursewak Singh, his wife Shaminder Kaur, Jasbir Singh and his wife Harmeet Kaur, all residents of Longowal village, Deepa of Namol village and some others under Sections 302, 307, 452, 120-B, 148, 149 of the IPC and the Arms Act. Nobody has been arrested. Dirba Station House Officer Krishan Kumar said a case had been registered.

Patiala, December 25
The Patiala police today claimed to have solved the murder case of an autorickshaw driver named Jaswinder Singh, who was found murdered on December 11 near Baran village.

Police said the victim was allegedly murdered by Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Ranjit Vihar, Patiala. “The accused Gurpreet Singh had developed illicit relations with the wife of the deceased. On the night of the murder, the accused had called Jaswinder Singh near Baran and allegedly stabbed him repeatedly,” said the police.